Ocampo, Maza eye run as independent bets

November 23, 2009 06:12:00
Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer


MANILA, Philippines—Militant lawmakers Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza will likely run as independent senatorial candidates following the Nacionalista Party’s forging of an alliance with the Kilusan Bagong Lipunan (KBL) of Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos.

“Our thinking now is to run as independents,” Ocampo told the Inquirer. “We think a possible alliance with the NP has become untenable.”

Ocampo, who was imprisoned and tortured during martial law which was imposed by President Ferdinand Marcos, admitted receiving “negative feedback” following reports that he would be running in the same ticket as the young Marcos. He said he himself was surprised when Sen. Manuel Villar’s NP struck a formal alliance with the KBL.

He said Villar had made it clear in previous discussions with him that he would support two key issues on the militant lawmakers’ agenda—the full recovery of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth and compensation for victims of human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship.

“I was surprised when Villar said ‘let’s not deal with the past’ in response to Bongbong’s statement that the Marcoses were not the issue in the alliance,” Ocampo said.

“What we are asking for is closure on the accountability of the Marcos dictatorship to the people,” he said.

Former Akbayan party-list Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales Sunday said she could not imagine Ocampo appearing on the same stage as Bongbong Marcos during campaign sorties. She described the alliance as a “bizarre arrangement.”

“Can you imagine that while Satur will talk about human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship, Bongbong will deny that his father was a dictator and a human rights violator,” Rosales said in a phone interview with the Inquirer.

“Let’s give dignity to the intelligence of the Filipino electorate,” she said.

Villar’s decision to get Bongbong Marcos into the NP’s senatorial slate has placed Ocampo and Maza in a delicate position. On Friday, Villar and Marcos formalized their tie-up.

“Is this arrangement OK with them? A lot of people are already asking why they’re in the same ticket with Marcos. It does put into question their position to run for the Senate,” said Rosales, whose Akbayan party-list group is in ideological conflict with Ocampo’s Bayan Muna.


Source: http://politics.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&article=20091123-237852